With just under three weeks left to Sine Die, the Legislature is working as fast as ever. We have for you this mid-week report which provides a comprehensive overview of this year’s Leadership Bills. Through Monday, this is where each bill stands. We’ll have more for you Friday with all of this week’s news from the capitol!
Governor Greg Abbott’s Legislative Priorities:
Emergency Items:
- Expanding Rural Broadband Access – HB 5 by Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) and Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) – has passed House and Senate and is in conference committee
- Preventing Local Defunding of Police – SB 23 by Joan Huffman and HB 1900 by Craig Goldman – SB 23 has passed the Senate and been voted favorably (sub) from the House State Affairs Committee; HB 1900 has passed the House and been referred to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee
- Bail Reform – SB 21 by Joan Huffman (R-Houston); HB 20 by Andrew Murr (R-Junction); and HJR 4 by Kyle Kacal (R-College Station) – SB 21 has passed the Senate and been referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee; HB 20 has passed the House and been referred to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee; HJR 4 is set on the House Calendar on May 11, 2021
- Election Integrity – SB 7 by Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) – Passed the Senate and House; is expected to go to conference committee
- Liability Protection from COVID-Related Lawsuits – SB 6 by Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s Legislative Priorities:
A Safe & Secure Texas Future:
- SB 2 by Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) – ERCOT Reform – Passed Senate; pending in House State Affairs Committee
- SB 3 by Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) – Power Grid Stability – Passed Senate; pending in House State Affairs Committee
- SB 5 by Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) – Statewide Broadband Access – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee; however, a similar bill, HB 5, is in a conference committee
- SB 7 by Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) – Election & Ballot Security – Passed Senate; passed House; will likely go to conference committee
- SB 15 by Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) – Ban Sale of Personal Data from Certain State Agencies – Passed Senate; set for hearing in House Transportation Committee on May 11, 2021
- SB 16 by Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) – Protect State-held Personal Data – referred to Senate Finance Committee; however, a similar bill SB 475 has passed the Senate and was heard and left pending in the House State Affairs Committee on May 10, 2021
- SB 21 by Joan Huffman (R-Houston) – Bail Reform – Passed Senate; referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
- SB 22 by Drew Springer (R-Muenster) – First Responders Pandemic Care Act – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House Business & Industry Committee
- SB 23 by Joan Huffman (R-Houston) – Stop Local Police Defunding – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 24 by Joan Huffman (R-Houston) – Law Enforcement Transparency Act – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee
- SB 27 by Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) – Expand Virtual Learning Options – reported from (sub) the Senate Education Committee
- SB 28 by Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) – Charter School Equity Act – Passed Senate; pending in House Public Education Committee
Life, Liberty and Conservative Texas Values:
- SB 4 by Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) – Star Spangled Banner Protection Act – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 8 by Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) – The Heartbeat Bill – Passed Senate; passed the House
- SB 9 by Angela Paxton – Abortion Ban Trigger – Passed Senate; referred to House State Affairs Committee; the companion, HB 1280 has passed the House but has not been referred to committee in the Senate
- SB 12 by Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) – Protect Free Speech on Social Media – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee; the companion, HB 2587, was heard and left pending in the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 18 by Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) – Protect Second Amendment Businesses – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee; the companion, HB 1500, has passed the House but has not been referred to committee in the Senate
- SB 19 by Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) – Stop Corporate Gun Boycotts – Passed Senate; reported favorably (sub) from the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 20 by Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) – Second Amendment Protections for Travelers – Passed Senate; reported favorably from the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee
- SB 25 by Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) – Family Nursing Home Visitation Rights – Passed Senate; reported favorably (sub) from the House Human Services Committee
- SB 26 by Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) – Protect Our Freedom to Worship – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee; the companion, HB 1239, was reported favorably (sub) from the Senate State Affairs Committee and recommended for the Local & Uncontested Calendar
- SB 29 by Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) – Fair Sports for Women & Girls – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House Public Education Committee
- SB 30 by Royce West (D-Dallas) – Removing Racist Restrictions from Real Estate Deeds – Passed Senate; reported favorably (sub) from the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee
House Speaker Dade Phelan’s Legislative Priorities:
Strengthen the State’s Electric Grid:
- HB 10 by Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) – Reforming ERCOT Leadership – Passed House; pending in the Senate Jurisprudence Committee
- HB 11 by Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) – Protecting Consumers and Hardening Facilities for Extreme Weather – Passed House; pending in the Senate Jurisprudence Committee
- HB 12 by Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) – Alerting Texans During Emergencies – Passed House; pending in the Senate Jurisprudence Committee
- HB 13 by Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) – Improving Coordination During Disasters – Passed House; pending in the Senate Jurisprudence Committee
- HB 14 by Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth) – Weatherizing Natural Gas Infrastructure – Passed House; set for a hearing in the Senate Jurisprudence Committee on May 13, 2021
- HB 16 by Ana Hernandez (D-Houston) – Defending Ratepayers – Passed House; passed Senate
- HB 17 by Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) – Protecting Homeowner Rights – Passed Senate; passed House; sent to the governor
Healthy Families, Healthy Texas:
Increasing Access to Care:
- HB 4 by Four Price (R-Amarillo) – Increasing Access to Telehealth and Telemedicine – Passed House; set for a hearing in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on May 12, 2021
- HB 5 by Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) – Establishing Framework for Broadband Internet Expansion – Passed House; passed Senate; in conference committee
- HB 290 by Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio) – Reducing Red Tape for Children’s Healthcare – Passed House; not referred to committee in the Senate
- HB 797 by Donna Howard (D-Austin) – Increasing Flexibility in Vaccine Delivery – Passed House; passed Senate; sent to the governor
Improving Health Outcomes:
- HB 15 by Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) – Establishing a Brain Institute of Texas – Passed House; referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee
- HB 18 by Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) – Lowering Drug Costs for the Uninsured – Passed House; referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee
- HB 133 by Toni Rose (D-Dallas) – Providing Greater Care for New Mothers – Passed House; referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee
- HB 4139 by Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) – Advancing Health Equity – Passed House; not referred to committee in the Senate
Increasing Affordability of Healthcare:
- HB 2487 by Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) – Promoting Transparency in Hospital Pricing – left pending in the House Public Health Committee; the companion, SB 1137 has passed the Senate and been voted favorably (sub) from the House Public Health Committee
- HB 3752 by James Frank (R-Wichita Falls) – Increasing Health Coverage Options – Passed House; not referred to committee in the Senate
- HB 3923 and HB 3924 by Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) – Increasing Health Coverage Options – They have passed the House; not referred to committee in the Senate
Protecting Taxpayers & the Texas Economy*:
- SB 1 by Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) – State Budget – Passed Senate; passed House; in conference committee
- SB 6 by Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) – Pandemic Liability Protection Act – Passed Senate; voted favorably (sub) from the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee
- SB 10 by Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) – Stop Taxpayer Funded Lobbying – Passed Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 13 by Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) – Oil and Gas Investment Protection – Passed Senate; passed House; on Senate Items Eligible Calendar
- SB 14 by Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) – Business Freedom & Uniformity Act – Passed Senate; voted favorably from the House State Affairs Committee
- SB 17 by Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) – Protect Texas Trucking – referred to Senate Transportation Committee; the companion, HB 19, has passed the House and is set for a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee on May 12, 2021
*This category is a Legislative Priority for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.